More than 700 NHS Lothian diabetes patients are on the waiting list for insulin pumps – while fewer than 200 devices are handed out each year.

One patient has been waiting for 28 months to receive the ‘life-changing’ tool, which allows people to administer insulin and monitor their blood glucose levels constantly.

We revealed last month that the health board had stopped providing closed-loop devices to all patients except pregnant women and children, blaming soaring demand and funding pressures for the move.